2019: APGA Will Win in Imo, Others – National Chairman

Dr Victor Oye, National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), has said the party stood the best chance to win the gubernatorial election in Imo come 2019.

Oye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Wednesday that they party was going into the election to win all the posts it fielded candidates for, including the presidency.

Oye, who expressed regrets over protests among APGA members over alleged unfair treatment during the primary elections, appealed to them to forgive the party and work for its success at the polls.

The chairman assured party members that all grievances would be addressed, adding that in spite of the challenges, APGA was accepted across the going by the number and spread of candidates running on its platform.

Oye said Imo, an APGA controlled state was doing well before Gov. Rochas Okorocha abandoned the party that gave him platform for the All Progressives Congress.

He said the party was also fielding candidates in the state and Federal Constituencies’ seat as well as the Senatorial Zones.

“Imo is in the hand of God, God and the good people of Imo will determine who wins Imo, as a political party we are hopeful of victory.

“In 2007 we lost the opportunity of winning the state due to some miscalculations, in 2011 APGA won with Gov Okorocha but he jumped ship and today he is getting rewards for his actions.

“Now, APGA has the biggest opportunity to win Imo with a very viable candidate and we are fielding candidates in the three senatorial zones, 10 federal constituencies and 27 state constituencies elections.

“We are good to go in Imo because our candidates are strong and because we are just, fair in what we did in Imo, nobody was shortchanged,” he said.

He said APGA gubernatorial candidates in all other states were formidable, adding that the party was in the race for the presidency to win.

“The enthusiasm about APGA is very high, for the first time, we have a presidential candidate and formidable governorship candidates in Abia, Delta, Taraba, Zamfara, Benue, Kebbi, Plateau and other states.

“We are running for the presidency to win, we have a candidate and a running mate, we are in the race to win if we are supporting President Muhammadu Buhari, if we are, we would have adopted him,” he said.

Oye said that all major political parties in the country had their own problem from the primary elections and laid part of the blame on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to him, the expected passage of the amended Electoral Law made INEC to delay the release of time table such that the build up to the exercise was fire brigade for political parties.

“INEC did not help matters; we waited for the amended Electoral Act until the last minute before they said we should return to the status quo.

“The time between when they said we should return to status quo and the primary elections was too short, that was also responsible for what the parties went through.

“If the National Assembly and Presidency had concluded the amendment like three months to August, parties would have been ready with materials and other logistics but we waited until the last minute,” he said.

NAN reports that Oye had on Monday took responsibility for the flaws in the party’s primary elections and tendered unreserved apology to aggrieved members. (NAN)